I now cannot ever shower alone. My days of peaceful solitude with warm running water are over. And it all started with a simple trip to the restroom...

As many of you know, I'm in the long haul process of raising and training my own service dog. So Karma has been escorting me to the restroom (oh the looks I get from him!). No problem, he follows me, checks out the room then sits by my feet staring at me.

Last week I told my husband I was going to take a shower. Karma starts following me. I ask hubby to call Karma who at that point was practically glued to me. He calls. Karma ignores. Hubby suggests that perhaps Karma senses he'll be needed. Ok fine. It would be good to have him near and used to it in the event I shower while hubby is out and something goes wrong ( I am a world class klutz afterall....). So off we go. I turn on shower. Karma looks at shower, looks at me and starts to back off (he's been in there before after an unfortunate incident involving bad timing). I get in shower and shut door. It is a stall shower meaning less room than a phone booth. I hear whining. I tell Karma I'm ok. He still cries. I open shower, tell him I'm fine and shut the door. MORE crying. I open shower door again. I now have a 70 pound lab puppy 1/2 way in the shower with me. Again, VERY SMALL SHOWER- very BIG puppy. Well now he just thinks this is the coolest thing! Neatest water fountain! How nice of me to turn on the big water fountain for him! (he obviously forgot all about the shower incident). He's having a blast! I can now NEVER shower without him. I dread using the garden tub. I know darn well he'll climb in with me. So much for future leisurely bubble baths!

Karma: the good, the never bad, the big black lab!

02-04-2014, 02:17 AM

steve.b

there are friends ..... and there are friends ....

a little more training required, so he stays where you want him.
but glad he is protecting you.

02-04-2014, 06:47 AM

Nonna

As an animal lover I love that story, but I know you'd like to be alone in there. Maybe a re-designed shower might help, a his/hers and Karma's. More training as Steve says is probably cheaper.

Thanks for sharing

02-04-2014, 09:02 AM

ruziska

Unfortunately Karma loves water so anything involving water is a challenge when it comes to training. I'm also convinced that he thinks snow was invented JUST FOR KARMA!!!! He absolutely loves the stuff. Frozen flakes of water! AMAZING!!! Karma and the shower is amusing, and that part doesn't bother me, the soaked bathroom after he shakes and I can't get him outside fast enough to avoid it, is another story. What's that line about "conserve water, shower with a friend"? I guess that applies to 4 legged friends too!

02-05-2014, 08:19 AM

Mica

One of my dogs is 14 years old and when it snows she seems to start acting like a puppy again. Only dog I have ever had that loved the snow. Though when I bathe my cat is insistent that he should be in the bathroom too. He is a bit of a creeper just sitting there watching me.

02-05-2014, 09:40 AM

Nonna

Mica, my cat would sit on the side of the tub and test the water with her paw; a couple of times she even came in. Not that she liked it though, I had scratches in weird places to prove it. LOL.
I miss her.

02-19-2014, 04:52 PM

Moonbeam

I am concerned for your safety. Could you possibly trip on or over him?